Potato-harvester



(No Model.)v 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. DUNN al; J. R. MOORE. POTATO HARVESTER.

EL?. i.

WIINESSES.- I INVENTUM ATTORNEY (Nomodel.) 3 sheets-sheen 2.

J. DUNN 8v J. R. MOORE. PoTATo HARVESTER.

No. 550,234.. Patented Nov; 19, 1895.

IN VENT ORS WITN SSES: d, Dun/7.

A am. Q/ Hl yA TURNEY (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. DUNN 8L MOORE.

' POTATO HARVESTER. E No. 550,234. Patented Non 19, 189.5.

' o I c INVENTORS` UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JAMES DUNN AND JOSEPH R. MOORE, OF DENVER, COLORADO'.

POTATO-HARVSTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,234, dated November 19, 1895.

Application filed December 22, 1894.' Serial No. 532,691. (No model.)

To all whom; t 11a/ay concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES DUNN and v JOSEPH R. MOORE, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato-Harvesters; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others' skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying draw- ,ings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a pait of this specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in potato-harvesters; and it consists of the features, arrangements, and combinations hereinafter described and claimed, all of which will be fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a rear end view of the machine. v Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken' on the line Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a similar section taken on the line fy y, Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the sacking-hopper, the rear side of the casing being removed to show the inner structure. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the lateral carrier shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary View in perspective of the endless longitudinal apron or carrier shown on a larger scale. Fig. 9 is a detail view, in perspective, of one of the links of the sprocketchain attached to the endless apron. Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view of the apron sprocketchain shown in connection with the transverse rods of the apron. Fig. 11 is a side vor edge View of the chain. Fig. 12` vis a perspective view of the plow shown inv connection with the shaker-rods. Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the vine-cutter. Fig. 14 is a perspective view in detail of the roller which engages and actuates the movable rods connected with the plow. y

Similar reference characters indicating corresponding parts or elements in all the views, let the numeral 5 designate the frame, in which is journaled the main axle 6, mounted on the large wheels 7, and the front or auxiliary axle 8, mounted on the small wheels 9. Immediately to the rear of the wheels 9 is located the vine-cutter 10, 'composed of the share 10, the rearwardly-extending arms 10C, and the upright arm 10d. The arms 10C are pivoted on the frame 5. The vine-cutter is adjusted by means of a lever 12 and a connecting-rod `13, pivoted to the arm 10d. The lever is fulcrumed on the framework. In the rear of the vine-cutter is located the plow or digger 14, Vcomprising a broad pointed share 14L and upwardly-extending arms 14C. To these arms is made fasta transverse horizontal bar 15, supported by U-shaped hangers 16, attached to the frame. To the bar 15 is made fast a crank 17, formed integral with an upright bar 18.

, The kplow is controlled by a lever 19 and a connecting-rod 20, leading from the lever to the bar 18. The plowA or digger-shovel is further supported by rods 14g, movably attached to the frame and pivoted to the rearwardlyextending projections formed on the arms 14C. Into apertures formed in the rear edge of the -plow is hooked av series'of rods 21, which ex- :the shaft 22. The notches 22c are alternately yarranged in the adjacent blades, whereby a shaking movement is imparted to the rods by the rotation of the shaft 22. This shaft is j ournaled in hangers 23, made fast to the framework. To the rear of the shaft 22 is located a shaft 24journaled in hangers 25, attached to the frame. To the edges of the endless apron 26 are attached chains 26a,which engage sprockets 26c on the shaft 24 and other sprockets 27C, made fast on a shaft 27, journaled in the upper extremities of the inclined rearwardly-extending bars 5 of the framework. The chains 26, attached to the edges of the apron, also engage intermediate sprockets 26, made fast to the main axle 6 of the machine. The upper side of the apron is centrally engaged by spring-held rollers 57 ,which depress the apron between the shafts 24 and 27. This apron is operated by a chain 28, which engages sprockets made fast to the shafts 24 and 27 and the axle 6, respectively. This chain also engages a tension-sprocket 33,

v journaled in hangers '34, attached to .the frame- IOO Work. This last-named sprocket is vertically adjustable in its hangers for obvious reasons. Splined on the axle 6 is a clutch 35, having its toothed face adjacent and adapted to engage the counterpart clutch-face of the loose sprocket 3l. This clutch 35 is adjustable on. the axle through the instrumentality of levers 3G and 36 and a connecting-rod 37. The lever 36 proj ect-s into a circumferential groove formed in the clutch. Then the toothed face of the clutch engages the corresponding face of the sprocket, it is evident that the endless apron 26 will move when the machine is in motion. Hence when the clutch faces are disengaged the apron will s top. To the shaft 24 is made fast another sprocket 3S, which isj connected by means of -a 'chai-n 39 with `a sprocket 40, made Iias't'on the 'shaiit -By means ofthisconneetion the Elast-nfemfiedshaft is operated. A 1 Below thelshafft 27 'is :located "the hopper 4l, l separated by a partition Li2 Cinto t-Wo'compart ments 43. Therront and rrear -sidesof the hopper are interiorly grooved sto engage the edges of aslidfing plate 44 of snicient areag` to close one compartment. "'Ihis plate "'may be shifted `from lthe outside lof the hopper means `of a projecting knob or handpie'ce at# tached thereto. To -the fmouths or discharge extremities t5 of the hoppercompartmentts are attached the sacks 46, which receive Athe potatoes as they lfall from the lendless apron. Wrhen it is desired to discharge lthe petatoes directly into a Wagonfboxor lother `leceptacle, an inclined [plat-'e 46 is located Iin `thei upper part of theihoppeig 'its lower entrem'it-j'f protruding through'an openingformedttheret in. Beneaththe-extremity of fthis-disohargeplateislocated anendlesscarrier. (SeeFigs. i 3 and lThis carrier cengages `drums jour-i naled in bars 49 made "fast tothe iframe andi Supported by chains 50. Thisflateralearr'er is an `alternative constructionand of course? is not employ-ed `when Eitisdesiredto `saekthe potatoes.

The carrier471is=operated 1from 'thefshaftl 27, which for this purpose iis provided with a -fast bevel-gear 5l, meshing with anotherll gear 52, -made Afast on a short shaft 58, jour# naled in projectionsyattaehed to the -maiin` frame. This shaftl53 carries a fast sprocketJ 55, which is connected with Va sprocketfwbyl' meansof a chain-5G. The sproc'letiisffastI on fthe journal or reduced extremityof Cnel of fthecarrier-drums. (Not shownf) Adjustably supported -in slotted uprightsj 58,1nade fast to the `frame, is `a `transverse-` brush 59, adaptedto engagelthe endlessapron" 2G. Thisbrushfacilitates 'theseparation of the-dirt trom 4the potatoes. The Vbrush 5'!) -isV vertically adjustable `injits standards Eby" means-of `set-screws (50, Awhich passthrough` the slot-slof it-hestandards and-enter the brush' extremities. rPhe endlessapron or longitudinalcarrier 26 comprises Ia 4'series of wire=sections, Aeach section having a number of serpentine bends formed therein; These serpentine-shaped Wireesec'tions are alternately arranged in horizontal and vertical positions. (See Fig. 8.) The extremities ot both the horizontal and vertical sections are formed into hooks. The Vhooked extremities of the two sets of sec 'tions engage each other and thus connect the sections, whereby they are formed into a continuous orendless carrier. The hooked ex tremities of the vertically-positioned sections also en gage transverse rods 26, Whose extremities termi-nate in hooks which engage apertured lugs 26g, formed on the links of the chain 26, whereby the chain is attached to the carrier.

From the foregoingdescription the operation o'f the machine will be ireadi'lynnder stood. Asitheimachine i'is drawn 'ovverlthe held, t'h'e vine-cutter clearslawa'y the 'vines Tand the ploiv or digger raises the'potatoes ont of the earth. From the plovT |the potatoes pass ito the shaker-rods 121, "and Ethence to theendless apro n 'or l'longitndin'al 1carrier 26, which Vearr'ies them "fnprard dirop's them 'into the hopper itl, whence ithey pass either intorsacks or l:int-ola Wagondraiim along beside 'the machine, 'asmay be idesired.

All the epe:native Alparts yot the imaclrine are actu atedEei-ther direetlyorindirectlyfromthe main axle G, which rotates with the Wheels/7.

Havingithnsrdescribedonr invention, Wh at We iclaim ris@- i. In fapdtatoeigger, Fth'eeoinbinaton with the main rfratlnefand ltl1e-mle, of theshatts 2li and 27 j'onrnaled inthe iframe toltlrefront and rear Aof fthe mille respectively, an endless ear- Arer having sprocket `chains attached to lits edges-and fengag-ng =`sp1focletavl1eels -on =the said shai'tsf'a'nd the `axle,lspifingheld rollers adapted to 4depress Ithe apron between the shaft-s Ziand 27, itherafxle being out ot a 'di-v rectinedraWn trom one shaft to lthe other, another chain 'for prope'liing ithe carrier-,said chain vengaging other sprockets on 4the shafts 24 and Vf/andthe anle respectively, anda'tension sprocket Aj ournaled in "hangers attached tothelframe andengagin gftheipropellin g chain intermediate vthe shafts Qiand A27p', 'substantiallyas described.

p 2.V The-'endlesslcarrier conilprisinga series of -Wire sectonseachhavinganuniberof ser= pentinefbends, said-sections Ibeing alternately arranged inhorizon'tall; or approximately l1orizontal, Aandvertical Ipositions, the extremities o'f both the horizontal and `vertical sections being Lfo'rmedinto hooksengagingeachf other, Wherebyth'e sections-are fomnedintoan endlessearrier, `substantially as described.

`3. r'lhe endless carriercomprising the series of Wiresectionsfeachhaving alnumberot ser= pentinebends, saids'ectionsbeing alternately arrangedinhorizontal,forapproximatelyhorizontal, p and vertical positions, l (assuming the plane of thejcarrierto be horizontal) the'extremities of lboth ythe hori'zontalf` and `vertical sections `being formed into `hooks `engaging each other'wherebythesections `are formed IOO I'io

I'Ig

into an endless carrier, transverse rods attached to the hooked extremities of the Vertically positioned sections, said rods having hooked extremities, and chains having apertured lugs formed on their links which the hooked extremities of the rods engage, substantially as described.

4. In a potato harvester, the combination with the main frame and axle, of the shafts 5. In a potato harvester, the combination with the framework and the axle j onrnaled therein, of the shafts also journaled in the framework and located to the front and rear of the axle, the digging and sacking mechanism, the intermediate endless carrier composed of the serpentine sections arranged at right angles to each other and suitably connected, chains attached to the longitudinal edges of the carrier and engaging sprocket wheels on the`said shafts and the axle, and means for propelling the carrier comprising a chain engaging sprockets on the two shafts and the axle, substantially as described.

ln testimony whereof we affix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES DUNN. JOSEPH R. MOORE. Witnesses:

CHAs. E. DAWsoN, A. J. OBRIEN. 

